The Green Room is a welcome escape from big box stores and a ‘must visit’ when in Stratford. Lovingly curated treasures ranging from a huge selection of brand name boots to sassy greeting cards, from a select range of lingerie to Pendleton plaid shirts.
The Green Room started as a music store when Helen and her former husband moved to Stratford. Buying antique cupboards to put stereo equipment on gave her the buying bug. She came across white dinner jackets at a market and the city lined up to buy them. The Green Room became the place to find prom outfits – 50’s prom dresses – and Helen the styler to teens. During June, boys could often be found getting lessons on how to tie bow ties from Helen. Next up was Hawaiian shirts, speakeasy clothing, fashion from Toronto designers, and many other eclectic type items.
Born on a small farm, close to the Ontario town of Glencoe, Helen quickly learned that life takes a lot of elbow grease. She was the sidekick to her father and quickly took hold of the book keeping duties. As a 12 year old, she became even busier with the passing of her father. She laughs at what people must have thought of her trying to get the laundry up over the laundry line. It took her a several attempts as she was so small. Though Helen desperately wanted to go to university, her family didn’t have the money. Instead, she became the dean of retail.